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20th Battalion (New Zealand)

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The 20th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the New Zealand Military Forces, which served during the Second World War as part of the New Zealand 2nd Division. During the war it was converted to an armoured regiment.

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Armoured Infantry

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Infantry of the 20th Battalion in Baggush, Egypt, September 1941

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1939

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20

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1945-12-02

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Second World War :Battle of Greece :Battle of Crete :North African Campaign ::Operation Crusader ::First Battle of El Alamein :Italian Campaign ::Battle of Monte Cassino

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several men in desert uniform marching with rifles on their shoulders

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~800 personnel

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The 20th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the New Zealand Military Forces, which served during the Second World War as part of the New Zealand 2nd Division. During the war it was converted to an armoured regiment. The 20th Battalion was formed in New Zealand in 1939 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Howard Kippenberger. After a period of training it embarked for the Middle East and then onto Greece in 1941 as part of the 2nd New Zealand Division. It participated in the Battles of Greece and later in Crete. Evacuated from Crete, it then fought in the North African Campaign. It suffered heavy losses during Operation Crusader, when it was effectively destroyed by the 15th Panzer Division. Brought back up to strength, the battalion played a key role in the breakout of the 2nd New Zealand Division from Minqar Qaim in June 1942, where it had been encircled by the 21st Panzer Division. The following month, the battalion suffered heavy casualties during the First Battle of El Alamein. In October 1943, the battalion was converted to an armoured unit and designated 20th Armoured Regiment. To replace men lost at El Alamein, personnel were drawn from a tank brigade being formed in New Zealand. The regiment spent a year in Egypt training with Sherman tanks, before embarking for Italy in October 1943 to join the Eighth Army. It participated in the Italian Campaign, fighting in actions at Orsogna and later at Cassino. The regiment finished the war in Trieste and remained there for several weeks until the large numbers of Yugoslav partisans also present in the city withdrew. Not required for service in the Pacific theatre of operations, the regiment was disestablished in late 1945.